Medici Blood
by IndigoQueen
Summary: AU: Catherine and Henry are mafia royalty carrying out their family legacy, notoriously dangerous & feared by most. Though beneath all the violence & blood could it be that they're just two lost souls trying to find their way back home? Angsty Cathry story with much baby frary, rated M mostly for language but future chapters may contain graphic violence and other adult themes. R&R
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Note: **__Okay, so think of this as like a prologue to explain how everything fits together in this ..reality? I guess lol. It covers everything up to where I've decided to start from but after this chapter the structure will change to include dialogue etc more like my other story; Our Toxic Love (which I will be updating shortly). Anyways, this idea just sort of came to me so I thought I'd give it a shot, let me know if you guys like the concept or whatever so I can decide whether or not it's worth continuing, okay? Alright then haha enjoy, love you all xx_

Based in Staten Island the name Valois became almost as feared as that of Medici during the late 80s to early 90s. Starting from nothing, Francis ( _aka: Frankie/ Frenchy_) a boy of french origin, living in an the streets of a city dominated by Italian blood he had faced many hardships and tribulations that turned him into a force to be record with. He was still young when he rose to the top creating an empire out of nothing but cunning ambition and ruthless aggression. A heartless son of a bitch willing to do whatever was necessary to stay on top, even trading in his own sons in order to get ahead when captured by his enemies, as an insurance means to protect the alliance between them. Little did his Spanish rivals know, he cared so little for his children's safety that he would go on to attack them at full force, massacring all of them regardless of his boys predicament or the threats being made against their lives. '_The thing about sons kid is you can always have more._' He told them upon their rescue, which of course was merely good fortune and not something he'd necessarily strived to achieve.

Henry, learnt from his father that in order to survive you had to be hard and cruel, a lesson his older brother never quite grasped. He was weak and foolish, yet somehow managed to stay his fathers favourite. As the years went by jealousy would eat up the younger of the two until one day he decided it was he that was more suited to being his fathers successor and killed Frank Junior along with any other contenders, enlisting many of his fathers men and recruiting some of his own, preparing for his own rule years ahead of his time and so when the day came where his father died he had many loyal soldiers ready to follow his lead without question. They worked to coexist with the Medici clan and other powerful factions without incurring their wrath and were thus able to grow quickly and without opposition.

The Medici's were largest crime family in the country, only spoken of in hush tones, their reputation demanded respect. They never convicted, mostly because they never got caught. They were some of the best killers ever known, with roots dating back centuries and connections all over the globe in all walks of life. Drug lords, politicians, doctors, teachers, lawyers, police, secret servicemen, assassins, they had in with each and more. _Nothing was out of their reach_. Their underworld dealings leaving them with more cash amongst them than they knew what to do with, more than most had ever seen, enough to rival the richest men in all the world. Though they were notoriously stingy, cautious about parting with every dollar, for one does not become as wealthy as the Medici's by being careless with their coin.

It was rare that anyone ever crossed the Medici's, but on occasion it did happen. The murder of Madeleine and Larenzo being one of those few times. Killed like animals in the street by an ambitious drug dealer who's body now rots at the bottom of the Philadelphia surge dump. Leaving their only child, Catherine an orphan before she could even walk. Luckily her godfather, Clement, a formidable King Pin situated on the north side, loved her dearly. Calling her his _duchessina_, a nickname that followed her through much of her childhood, she became known by title more than her own name. She didn't mind of course, once upon a time it made her feel special but it was destroyed forever when a rebel gang kidnapped her and held her for ransom. What happened to her in that storage cellar before she was rescued was something no one living knew..but whatever it was, when she came out the word, even when spoken with the deepest of affections made her skin crawl.

Diane was one of the many women Henry's father enlisted to entertain him after the death of his mother and was quite a lot older than Henry, but she had a warmth and a kindness he was attracted to from an early age. They started sleeping together when he'd just turned 16 and she was in her early 30s, whilst his father is still alive. She treated him with a tenderness that made him love her as much as his young heart was capable, but her intentions were never as pure as he thought. Diane de Poitiers was a woman of ambition and knew he was the best way for her to gain influence and money as his father was much too wise for her tricks.

He met Catherine a year or so later when they were both 17 and in the same History class. She was a hell of a lot smarter than he was which both irritated and attracted him. It all started though when they were assigned to work together on a project about the French Revolution, as no one else was brave enough to even speak to the children of the two most dangerous families this side of the country. They fought like crazy at first , ready to tear each other's heads off at every second glance but slowly they became aware that it wasn't hate that was between them

but something else that had been hiding beneath their hostility..something heavily encouraged by his father and her uncle, as their union was a great way to bridge the two factions and begin a steady business.

Despite the pressure placed on their backs the two managed to find a love in each other that was unmatched by any they would ever again experience. The bond they formed was a result of a unique understanding, both having grown up surrounded but alone, used as pawns, basically having to raise themselves in the absence of parental figures. They were abandoned by those meant to love them most, _left with an emptiness that only the other could fill._ For a while they were blissfully happy, married at 19 with the whole world at their feet.

Their happiness however was short lived as it seemed the one thing Catherine wanted more than anything else in the world was the one thing they couldn't have; Children. For as long as she could remember Catherine desired nothing more than to be a mother. One of her first memories was being in kindergarten and being asked what she wanted to be when she grew up.. in the midst of all the future princesses and astronauts the young mafia princess was the only one to answer 'a Mommy'.

She did everything she could possibly think of to get pregnant , saw every doctor, ate all the right foods, took extra hormones everything. Her obsession became a real strain on their relationship, her badgering and their constant failure to conceive making him feel less of a man which he didn't appreciate, especially after taking over his late fathers empire. So much so in fact that he returned to the comforts of Diane's bed, for the first time in years. Allowing her to stroke his ego, silence his insecurities and surprise them all when, at close to 40 she fell pregnant with _his child_.

Catherine was beyond devastated. At first her husband had been remorseful, hearing from others how hurt she had been at hearing the news, he had gone to her in attempt to fix what he broke but she was not a mild tempered woman and the sight of him merely had her lashing out. Being young and childish he took this as permission to continue his dalliances as according to her words, he was nothing to her anyway. Quickly he developed a habit of sleeping with any young thing that threw themselves at him, a vice not uncommon to Kings, mostly Henry did it just to see how she'd react, for that first moment when she'd see them together and her guard would drop for just a fraction of a second and he'd see her pain and know that she still cared, that she loved him even when she hated him. He lived for that look in her eyes, as sick as it may sound, for it was the only moment she would let him see how she truly felt. They used to trust each other with everything but since his betrayal she barely spoke a word to him that wasn't completely necessary or filled with snark.

For a year after Sebastian was born she couldn't bare to look at him she was so deeply destroyed. He had taken her avoidance as her cold hearted nature finally coming to light, chalking it up to yet another sign that they were never meant for each other in the first place. Alone and vulnerable Catherine found herself engaging in his best friend, Richie. The man always lusted after her and had been waiting on such an opportunity since the day they met, watching her like he were predator and she were his prey. She loved what he offered her, the attention, the affection, the promises and devotion but when he asked her to run away with him she ended things.

She regretted it in the days after for quite a while, as at that point she couldn't have cared less about her money or position. Being Queen of the underworld meant little to her when she was young. Leaving Henry however was something she could never bring herself to do. Despite all the pain he'd caused she loved him with every fibre of her being and couldn't bare to let go of the dream she had for them, _happy with children of their own._

Though being the stubborn independent woman she was, it was a long while before she allowed herself to give Henry anything that even resembled a second chance. It took the death of her uncle to weaken her resolve enough to even let him touch her again. Upon hearing of Clements passing he had rushed to be at her side, knowing how much she adored him, her husband put aside all the animosity between them and going to be with the one he loved. That night resulting in her first pregnancy and the beginning of one of the few periodic happinesses in their marriage.

Though of course, with the constant stress and danger they both faced on a daily basis their happiness was always short lived. At this point Catherine's heart had been broken so many times over she was practically numb to the pain, though the burden of being abandoned yet again whilst her husband gallivanted around with all his whores was now eased by three beautiful angels that were all her own, each filling her with an indescribable joy just by breathing..._and tomorrow she would have another._

_**TBC..?**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors Note:** Okay so I was kind of struggling with whether I should make them sound like mob couple? I guess lol or keep truer to their voices in the show. I decided to make them more Mobish but if you don't feel I've changed their voices in a way that fits or you feel it changes the characters to a point where you can't recognise them let me know and I'll change it in the next chapter. Also **warnings of violence and foul language. **Please let me know what you think Xox  
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It was early when she arrived, long before the sun rose. Catherine's friend, Marie was in trouble with the wrong type of people as a result of her own husbands dealings and decided it was best she get away, at least for a little while till things settled down. Though running away was a little difficult when you had an 8 year old that needed to get to school and do what she could to have some semblance of a normal childhood, so she decided it was best that her young Mary stay put. Handing her over to the most powerful mob wife known this side of the country may not have seemed like the best plan to those looking in from the outside, but in their world it was the safest place there was._ No one_ was going to touch her while she was living in the Medici-Valois house.

Though her mother did have her reservations about sending her there since technically the recent death of her husband was Henry's fault.

Jimmy was his brother in law until his little sister died of a rare kidney disease some years ago, but they had stayed close even after Jimmy remarried. They had always been good friends but only recently Henry suggested that they start doing business together. As head of the only Scottish faction in New York, Jimmy had access to explosives that Henry very much wanted to get his hands on. Though this new partnership was a great risk for Jim he agreed out of love for a man that he considered a brother, cutting off old ties with the Irish to make new ones with the Italians that the Valois King ruled over. Unfortunately though, the Irish weren't a people that took lightly to being screwed over, especially where money and weapons were involved and Jimmy ended up shot dead as a result.

Catherine put her thoughts at ease though. If she were honest their was no one else she'd trust with her little Queen then her blonde friend. She was fiercely protective of her own children and knew she would take Mary under that same umbrella. _There were many things you could call Catherine Medici-Valois, but a bad mother was not one of them._

So, with a heart felt goodbye to her daughter, Marie Guise walked her up to the front door of her new home with a suitcase in each hand. Catherine had asked Henry be at the house to meet her when she came so they could give her the impression of a secure loving home, but of course he had let her down once again, not even offering an excuse for his absence. But she wouldn't let that ruin her plan to make a good impression on the girl that, despite their parents friendship, they had had very little contact with. Standing at the front door with Francis, Elizabeth and Claude in toe she greeted their new guest, sending her little man to bring Mary's bags inside for her. She reassured her old friend one last time that all would be well before standing with Mary as they watched her retreat into her car and drive off into the distance.

Francis put her bags down in Elizabeth's room, as his younger sister had kindly offered to share it with her earlier in the week. The two had only met a handful of times but they got along amazingly and she was overjoyed by the new living arrangement and by the fact that Mary was being transferred to her school. As they were the same age Catherine had insisted that the school put them in the same class as well which made it all the better. They could spend everyday together from dusk till dawn, _they would be like twins! _

Catherine had never seen her daughter so excited, it confirmed for her that she had made the right decision in offering to keep Mary. But she felt herself worrying for the little dear already, the young brunette seemed to share her daughters excitement to an extent but it was tainted by a deep sadness that no child should have to know, _one that the older woman knew all too well from her own youth._

Mary, being the intuitive young thing she was also made sure to pay special attention to Claude as often as she could when playing. Knowing she often felt starved for such, despite being the youngest. Claude was a problem child, always throwing tantrums and screaming, often overwhelming her mother whom always had a lot on her plate as it was. Her six year old antics leaving Catherine with little energy to spend quality time with her, _a fact she often felt guilty about._ She appreciated Mary's efforts to include her throughout the day, a love for the young brunette developing even faster than she was expecting.

_Francis _and Mary seemed to get along quite well too. Their bashful glances over the dinner table causing an almost permanent smirk to cross Catherine's face as she imagined them growing up side by side as their budding romance turned into something more, dreaming of a possible wedding between the two one day and thinking about what a handsome groom her boy would make and what a lucky man he would be to love such a kind hearted girl. She shook her head with a light chuckle, knowing how ridiculous she was being but, _a mother could dream. _

After dinner she had Francis and Elizabeth help her clean up before putting them all to bed early as they had been awake far longer than they were used to and she wanted them well rested for school in the morning. She helped them all to brush their hair and and put on their pyjamas, all accept Francis of course, who insisted he was much to old for Mommy's help now. _Though, not to old apparently to have her read him a bedtime story._

_Finally_, about an hour and four fairytales later, all of her little angels were sound asleep and it was Mommy's turn to hit the hay after a very, _very_ long day. Though much deserved rest she had been longing for all day when she heard a stirring in the kitchen. Her brain to exhausted to think logically and guess that it may be her husband creating the racket, she panicked and grabbed the gun by the side of her bed before running down the stairs to confront the threat before it could reach the children.

Henry had come home some time after midnight smelling of booze and perfume as he stumbled through the door and headed straight towards the kitchen looking for his meal. _His wife always made him up a plate on the off chance he decided to come home that night. _Though usually he had the common sense to announce his presence or at least call ahead as a courtesy to high strung mother of three. But in his drunken state he had forgotten his manners and judging by her aim it had almost cost him an eye.

When he stepped back from the fridge and turned around to stick his dinner in the microwave he saw her whip around the corner and aim straight at his face before she even realised who it was. Instantly he raised his hands in a motion of surrender and finally seeing him properly she dropped the gun with a frustrated sigh.

"Jesus Christ Henry! I almost took your God damn head off, what the hell are you trying to do to me showing up here this late unannounced?!" She berated angrily.

"_Aye baby,_ relax, no harm done right?" He hushed in a way that he probably intended to be charming but in his intoxicated state just seemed down right pathetic as he made his way over to her and tried put his arm round her.

"Don't you try to fucking come here and call me baby, acting like you're some sort of decent human being, do you think I'm stupid, you asshole?! _Do you think I can't smell her on you?!_ Get your disgusting paws away from me before cut them off and feed them to you" she spat, her fury rising by the second as she smelt that one sent that she would recognise anywhere, that one scent that was distinctly _Diane_ that set her off more than any other _stench_ she'd ever come across. Yet as angry as she was, she still found herself walking over to the table to grab his plate and stick it in the microwave for him before pouring him a drink and slamming it down in front of his designated seat.

"Jesus what's got your panties in a knot today?" Her husband mumbled as he walked over to his chair at the head of the table. She rolled her eyes, inwardly cursing him as she wondered how he could possibly be so thick. "I could make a list, but I'm going to go ahead and let you guess first." She said, handing him his cutlery.

Henry sat for a moment, his hazed mind trying to retrace his steps and figure out what his mistake was this time, coming up blank he had to assume that whatever he'd done it'd been done in time he'd been back home, which wasn't long he'd only been here twenty minutes and it was so late he thought- _late. That was it. "_..so I came home late, so what? It ain't the first time" he shrugged as she passed him his reheated food.

_'Honestly, what did I ever see in this drunken imbecile_' she thought to herself, looking at him august. There was a time she thought the slob before her walked on water, though over the years she had become oh so incredibly disillusioned. "You remember what I wanted from you today, the _only_ thing I wanted from you?" She sighed exasperatedly.

After another long pause as her husband racked his brain, he finally figured it out "_Shit, the girl_. I forgot all about her." He confessed, as if that somehow made it alright. "_Mhmm_" came her unimpressed reply.

"I said I forgot, what do you want from me?" He whined, irritated that she hadn't just accepted his reason and forgiven him like he wanted. "I'm a busy man I don't have time for that sorta shit anyway. Kids are your thing" Henry huffed before returning his attention to inhaling his meal.

"You made me a promise that you'd be there Henry and not only did you not show up when I asked you were gone all day and night, you didn't even bother to come by to say _hello_ to her." Catherine went on, her jaw clicking in annoyance at his eating habits. He was capable of eating like a human being and having some semblance of dignity about himself, _just not after 16 rounds with Jack Daniels. _

"Yeah well you're always saying my promises don't mean shit anyway" he retorted with an eye roll as he guzzled down the drink she'd set out for him. "And you prove me right at every chance you get" she said smiling, though there was no warmth in it. "I guess it's _my_ fault for giving you a chance to show you actually give a damn about me or this family" she shot back, leaning her back against the counter top as she watched him from across the kitchen. _To say she was fed up with his ways was quite the understatement._

"_What the fuck_ is so special about this kid that you've gotta sit here and break my balls about her so hard for, huh?" Henry groaned, not the mood to have this conversation with his wife, who was putting a heavy damper on the buzz he'd had going when he walked in. "It's not like she's never gonna see me, _I'm lettin her live in my house aren't I?" _

Sometimes Catherine swore she despised this man she called her husband and comments like that were the reason. _Of all the ignorant, arrogant, clueless sons of b_- oh what the fuck was even the point? It didn't matter what she called him she didn't think she'd ever get through. There was only one way she knew how to really get Henry to pay attention and that was to use his guilt. "She's your best friends child, you'd think you could put in just a little bit of effort considering he's dead because of something that _you_ pushed him into"

Henry stopped eating and looked up at her with daggers in his eyes. She was right and her taunting always stung more when that was the case. "Watch yourself, _Cathy_"

Catherine detested when he called her that, hated it with every fibre in her being. It got her blood boiling to the point where she wanted to take a knife and shove it through the top of his knee, but she knew if she was going to get to him she couldn't let it bother her. She couldn't let herself get worked up and react to him, she needed to stay calm and nonchalant for her words to have the desired impact. "You know what, don't even worry about it. I don't know what I was expecting from you, I mean hell, you can't even give your _own_ children the time of day let alone someone else's"

"_I SAID ENOUGH!_" He boomed, not loud enough for the children to here but enough to show his was wearing thin, bashing his fist into the table as he rose from his seat. An action she was sure he intended to be intimidating. Fool.

Narrow her eyes challengingly her lips curled into an almost snarl as she threw the next of the emotional daggers she held in her arsenal against him."I guess it's true what they say, _like father like son." _

"_You take that back"_ he demanded, flipping the table on its side in his anger as he took a few steps toward her, his eyes darkening in a way that to most would be more than a little frightening as his chest heaved with adrenaline. But Catherine was not just anyone, she was his equal in every way and with a cruel smile she went on, undeterred by his antics, throwing her final blade aimed right at his chest. "I should probably count it as a blessing in disguise that your never around since Francis can't possibly turn into _a man he never knew" _

Seeing red, Henry launched at her from across the room, picking her up by the throat and slamming her against the fridge. He held her there, just a little off the ground, pressing her head into the hard surface of the door. "_You shut your fucking mouth"_ he ordered, his voice low and dangerous. "_Or what?_" Catherine spat back, her breathing a little heavy, though her composure was otherwise unaffected by his manhandling.

"I suggest you remember who you're married to, _my darling_" Henry warned. "That's funny, I was about to suggest you do the same, _my love" _his wife retorted, before motioning with her eyes to her right hand where she was holding one of the smaller kitchen knives up against his skin, ready to puncture his kidney at any moment. _She never failed to come out on top, he'd give her that. _He'd never even seen her pick the damn thing up. He was impressed, though it only fuelled his anger further. With a vicious snarl his hand began to close around her throat, blocking off her air way. The harder he squeezed the more force she used to press the blade into his skin. It wasn't until he felt blood trickling down his pants that he started to loosen his grip, suddenly and inexplicably filled with the desire to kiss her.

His hand moved down off her throat and began to roam over the rest of her body as he gave her room to regain her breath. When their eyes met again they were both filled with lust and hatred and love and pain and so much more that was too complicated for either to fully comprehend. He pushed her against the fridge again, hard. Intent on taking her right there as his hands ventured down to yank her nightgown up around her hips, before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, one she Catherine returned hungrily as she dropped the knife she was still holding to the ground and wrapped her arms around his neck. Allowing him to lift her slightly so that she could mirror the action with her legs, wrapping them firmly around his hips.

She was lost in the heat of passion unable to think past he feel of his skin against hers, until a tiny sneeze caused her heart to seize in her chest. Their activities ceased immediately and Henry moved his body to cover Catherine from whichever one of their children had come to investigate the noise coming from the kitchen until she could make herself decent, whilst also covering his own..._disheveled_ state.

Catherine pulled her nightgown back down to its normal length before bringing the lapels of her robe together and tying it at the front to hide the tear in the fabric above her breasts that had been caused by her husbands eager hands. Cursing herself that she had allowed their..argument to distract her so much she hadn't heard the pitter patter of tiny feet coming down the stairs, she moved out from behind Henry to tend to whomever it was. Her heart sinking when she saw the wide eyed young Mary looking up at her. Great, as if she hadn't been through enough without having to bare witness to..that.

"May I please have a glass of milk?" She asked innocently, trying to pretend she hadn't just seen what they all knew she had. She glances back at her husband and they share a remorseful look, sorry not just that she had seen but that it had escalated to that point, _again_. All their anger now deflated Henry picks up the table and puts it back on its feet before picking up the knife from the floor and hiding, it along with the gun Catherine had brought down before from young eyes that had already seen too much, whilst his wife poured them all a glass of milk.

Once the weapons were away Henry left the rest as it was and called Mary over to sit by him, knowing Catherine would pick up all the pieces later, just as she always did. With a slight reluctance the little girl walked over and sat in the seat beside him, encouraged by Catherine's warm smile. As she sat down the blonde woman Henry's and her glasses on the table and kissed the top of her head affectionately in attempt to put her at ease, which worked for the most part. Mary had come to adore Catherine in the short time they'd spent together and found that her nerves were easily calmed when the matriarch was present.

"What's your name kid?" Henry asked, having forgotten already. "Mary" she replied shyly as she took a sip of her milk.

"_hmm_.." He murmured, pursing his lips as he tried to decide if he could come up with something better to call her. "What's your full name?" He asked causing Catherine to grit her teeth in irritation as she went about cleaning the mess he had created. She hated the way Henry insisted on butchering their children's names, calling them by shortened, cheapened versions of the ones she'd daubed them with like; Frank, Lizzy and Nancy (a classless variation of Claude's middle name; Anne as he had always hated her first) no one else dared use such abbreviations in her presence. The names she had chosen for them were elegant and tasteful, she wanted them to be able to grow up and have every opportunity available to get out of this life, and a name with class would surely help.

Sensing his intention to do to Mary what he does with Claude she had to physically bite her tongue to stop herself from lashing out at him again with her in the room. Catherine had always hated fighting in front of her children and would try to avoid it wherever possible, this being no exception.

"..Mary Stuart, sir" she answered politely.

"You can call me Pop now and I want your middle names too" Henry insisted. "Mary Amelia Diane and I'm sorry sir but my father was James Stuart and he may be gone now but I'm not looking for another." The young girl replied with a maturity beyond her years. Nervous that she might offend him, but firm in decision that she would never call any other man father, nor any variation of that title, she squared her shoulders ready to stand her ground should he argue. _Catherine liked this girl more with each passing moment._

"Fair enough sweetheart how bout you call me uncle Henry then hmm?" He suggested with an affectionate chuckle, finding he too was quite fond of the girl. She nodded sweetly and he went on with an amused glance at his wife before continuing "So you're names _Diane_, huh?"

"_Henry don't even try it"_ she snapped with a dangerously icy tone. Her skin crawling at the very thought of having him refer to this sweet little girl she was already falling in love with by that _whores_ name. "Her name it Mary, it's two syllables, it requires no shortening nor changing. _It's Mary_. You can handle it you're a big boy with a normal functioning brain I assure you it won't be that much of a struggle."

He gave her an amused smirk that let her know he had only said it to get a rise out of her, one she chastised herself for allowing him. He turned back to the young girl whom was watching them silently with an empty glass and a tiny, white liquid moustache.

"_Mary then."_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Authors Note:** Hiya Lovelies! Sorry this is late I got busy. Lady Love will have a faster update though hopefully and then I'll do Our Toxic Love. I'm putting off my latest one An Italian Girl and Nothing More because I have a few different ways i can take it at this point and I haven't decided what I'm gonna go with as yet so if you're waiting on that one - I'm sorry, that ones gonna be a little while, but I'll try to get onto it asap. But anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! Next will be Henry's reaction to her outburst. Don't forget to let me know what you think Xox_

Waking up next to her husband, who insisted on snoring like a freight train, after their ordeal the night before was..._awkward_ to say the least. Thanking whatever god there was that she was an early riser, Catherine slipped out of bed silently, taking care not to wake her sleeping bear.

Her eyes still only half open, she went down stairs to brew herself a pot of coffee. Her bare feet sliding around the tiled kitchen floor as she sleepily went about her task, humming her satisfaction as she brought the steaming cup to her lips, breathing in the rich aroma for a few moments before finally taking a sip. This was her favourite part of the morning. The few minutes she could always count on having to herself before she woke the kids for school and her husband woke from his rock-like sleep. It was the only time all day that she had to think without having to deal with constant interruptions.

She sighed heavily as she replayed the nights events in her head. _Stupid bitch._ The blonde couldn't believe she'd allowed it to get so out of hand, she couldn't even remember why she'd decided to provoke him, though she assumed it was her husbands fault to begin with. Though it was more how it ended than how it started that had her kicking herself. And in front of Mary as well. _Fuck_. Just thinking about the whole thing made her want a cigarette. _She didn't even smoke._

But she had no more time to dwell on it further according to the clock above the fridge. She had to start getting her babies up and ready for their first day back at school after summer break. Quickly downing her coffee, knowing she would need it if she had any hope of getting her three little monsters out of bed, Catherine made her way upstairs to get ready for her first day back at war. Little Henry's they were, every one of them. '_Not morning people' _didn't even begin to cover it. If left to their own devices there wouldn't be a single one up before noon.

_Mary_, however, was much easier to rouse. An earlier riser like Catherine she woke up almost immediately after her new mother figure entered the room, ready to greet the day, unlike Elizabeth who merely let out a few whines in protest to the sudden stream of light in her eyes before rolling over and going back to sleep. Catherine rolled her eyes as Francis and Claude greeted her with the same enthusiasm as their sister. Going back down stairs to set the table for their breakfast she let Mary shower and dress herself before helping her fix her hair in a long ebony braid that reached half way down her back.

The matriarch sat by her young charge as she ate her cereal peacefully, all the others still in bed, watching the girl with her brow furrowed in concern. Always the nurturing mother, she worried for the pretty little thing. Her short life hadn't been an easy one with her parents relationship being not unlike the one she had with her own husband, though they at least had the grace to keep their problems behind closed doors, she knew Mary had seen a lot. Then of course her fathers death and now her mothers absence..she didn't want her to be afraid after what she'd witnessed last night. Catherine hadn't taken her in with the intention of traumatising the girl further, she'd wanted to give her a home_. A safe one_.

"Mary, my darling.." She started softly, knowing that if they didn't have this talk now she'd likely come to regret it in the long run "..how much of last night did you see?"

"I didn't see anything" replied immediately avoiding the blonde woman's eyes, sure she would be in trouble. Though when she saw Catherine's brow raise in her peripheral vision she corrected herself, albeit with some reluctance. "...anything _more_ than I've seen before"

_Not an answer._

Catherine sighed inwardly, though she hid her frustration from the child. It seemed she was going to have to coax it out of the girl.

"_So_, your parents...they fought a lot then, huh?"

"_Sometimes_" Mary answered evasively before a tiny smirk found her lips "..sometimes they did the kissing thing as well"

Trying to hide her embarrassment, Catherine looked down so the dark haired girl couldn't see the subtle blush that was burned her cheeks "Yes well, I'm sorry you had to see all that, sweetheart." The matriarch responded sincerely, taking two tiny hands in her larger ones, trying to offer the girl as much comfort and reassurance as she could. "I can't promise it'll never happen again but I'll try to keep it away from you as much as possible"

"What are you sorry for? It's _your_ house." She shrugged, not used to someone being so concerned about her feelings. "I was supposed to be in bed" Mary smiled softly, attempting to relieve some of the guilt she could see Catherine was putting on herself.

"_True_." The blonde smiled fondly. "But this is your home now too, darling and I want you to feel as safe and comfortable as possible"

Chocolate orbs looked deep into hazel, searching for any sign of a lie and finding none she smiled back. This was new for her, this.._attentiveness_. Mary had never had this with her own mother, Marie was always rather preoccupied, where her father was just.._absent_. She felt like she was the star of some orphan Annie after school special, where the kid with the crappy childhood finally finds a decent home. It'd only been a day and already she was strangely attached to her new '_aunt_'.

As she thought about it now, Mary found she only really had one concern about what she'd seen the night before. ".._did_ _he_ _hurt_ _you?_" The girl asked softly, motioning to the faint red handprint around Catherine's neck.

The blonde reached up to touch the mark on her throat, grazing her fingers over it softly hoping the others wouldn't be so observant. She'd checked on it before leaving her room when she woke up and it didn't seem too bad, it likely wouldn't even leave a bruise, truthfully she was surprised Mary even saw it. Though the matriarch realised it'd probably be easier to spot if one was looking for it. In the bright side though it did answer her original question on how much of their little _lovers_ _spat_ had been seen, the not so bright side being that that answer was, _most_ _probably_, all of it. Or at least the majority.

"No, sweetheart. I'm fine." Catherine promised gently.

"Then I'm fine too" Mary answered, smiling sweetly with a glint in her eye that was somehow equal parts, childhood naivety and wise beyond her years. Her new mother figure was about to say something more but right at that moment, three young Valois' came running down the stairs changed and ready for their breakfast.

Sitting her youngest on her lap to braid her hair similarly to how she'd done Mary's, she hushed the older ones from their incessant prattle about nothing in particular. Encouraging them to hurry up and eat their cereal so they could get going, not wanting them to be late for their first day back at school.

Piling her over-energetic little munchkins into the car for the school drop off had been quite the task but she'd managed it well and the peaceful silence on the return trip was well deserved. When she got home she could tell Henry was still asleep from the lack of banging and complaining about having nothing to eat. So, she decided now was as good a time as any to get a start on cleaning the house. Heading to the kitchen first as she had an uneasy feeling that she'd missed a few pieces of glass when she'd swept up the night before, Catherine made a start on cleaning the place top to bottom, making sure it was entirely safe for her babies and their little bare feet.

Not long after she started though, her husband wakes to find himself in an empty bed. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, in fact he'd come to expect it with his wife being the early bed she was, but something in him had hoped she'd be there when he rolled over on this particular morning. Drowsily he walked down to the kitchen where his wife offers to make him breakfast, more out of habit than anything else. Nodding appreciatively he sat down in his usual spot and watched as his blonde wife put away her cleaning supplies and walked over to the stove. Her shoulders were tense and she wished she'd never offered, then she could've just left the room and wouldn't have had to endure him staring at her while she cooked.

He'd always done it. It was like some sort of bad habit or a weird fascination he had with watching her prepare meals, or vacuum, do her hair, read. All little things none of which particularly interesting to most yet always seemed to grab his attention. Smiling he took in the sight of his beautiful wife, his eyes drinking in that perfect shade of coppery blonde he'd never seen on anyone else, before traveling down her form. Taking in her perfect curves and her ivory skin as well as all her tiny freckles. He could hardly see them sitting so far away but he didn't need to, he knew exactly where each one was and just what it looked like. He had her memorised from her head down to her toes from the last time they were on good terms.

Catherine was the only woman he'd ever known that'd been able to make him care that much. To intoxicate him to the point where he wanted to know each and every inch of her and never forget...there were times when he did forget though. _Forget_ _what_ _he_ _had_ _in_ _her_.

But after the night they had he was reminded with extreme force just who he was married to, though they'd been interrupted before he could get his fill of her and now sudden the was insatiable. For a few minutes there he tried to exercise his self control and stay seated, but eventually recalling _he_ _had_ _none_ the mob boss found himself slowly walking towards his wife.

The blonde had tuned out a while ago, focusing all her attention on the eggs and bacon and trying to ignore the man she was making them for. A feat made increasingly difficult when she felt his arms wrap around her from behind as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.

"_Henry_" his Medici wife warned, trying to shrug him off as she kept her eyes trained in the pan, making a conscious effort not to let him have an affect on her.

"I think we should talk about what went on between us last night" He whispered huskily, moving her hair off her shoulder to gain better access to her neck. She knew he meant ignore the fight and focus on how it'd ended up with them almost had sex about six feet from where they were currently standing.

"What is there to talk about" Catherine ground out in annoyance as she tried to think about anything other then trail of kisses he was leaving from the base of her neck all the way up her jawline and the fact that the calloused hands wrapped around her small figure were slowly venturing lower than what could ever be deemed appropriate at this point in their relationship. Because as infuriating as he was he also knew her better than anyone, especially this way and he knew just what buttons to press that'd make her forget her own name, let alone the fact that she was supposed to hate him right now. Which was bad enough on a regular day but it'd been so damn _long_ and after what'd almost happened between them the night before she just..

_Dead_ _puppies_, _dead_ _puppies_, _dead_ _puppies_.

In truth he almost had her, until he started talking again that was and her burning lust was outweighed by her burning rage. "How about the fact that you still want me just as bad as ever..I could see it in your eyes" her husband smiled against her skin, his hand venturing just beneath the waistband of her sweatpants as he added lowly ".._not_ _to_ _mention_ _a_ _few_ _other_ _little_ _tells_ _of_ _yours_ _I_ _quite_ _enjoy_."

Catherine felt her stomach roll slightly at his attempt at sexy, sighing heavily she grabbed his hand and pulled it off of her before taking a large step back from him. He had this way about him ever since the cheating started, this _arrogance_ and _bravado_ that coupled with the generic little lines he used made her feel so _cheap_ and _dirty_..like she wasn't his one in a billion anymore, just one _of_ the billion. She couldn't even tell whether it was better or worse that it didn't seem to be intentional, but either way it was like pouring salt on an already opened wound.

"You keep trying to seduce me like one of your _whores_ and I'll shove face on this open flame and melt it the fuck off" She threatened venomously, lashing out as a reflex to protect herself like a wounded animal. Seeing the hurt in his eyes, she softened, but only slightly. "..we both know I still love you. I always have and I always will but like I've told you a hundred times before, I'm not ever going to be your _Sunday_ _night_ _lay_ when you're to tired to drive to one of your sluts houses." The blonde huffed, trying to mask her hurt with anger as she stabbed at his food in the pan before piling it all up onto a plate.

"Last night was a mistake, _one_ _I_ _won't_ _make_ _again_." She went on, not daring to even look at him as she said the words, incase his expression weakened her resolve. "If you wanted to consider being a real husband and saying goodbye to all the others then that'd be a different story, but we've been through this before and you know what it'll take to have me, yet you _choose_ to go to them anyway." She continued, making sure to keep her voice hard and unflinching, not wanting to allow him the satisfaction of seeing all the pain that one truth had caused her. How much control he had over her heart and what that one choice he made each day meant to her.

"So just shut up and eat." His wife ordered, placing his food down in front of him with more force then was really necessary before letting out a defeated sigh as she went to leave. "_There's_ _nothing_ _more_ _to_ _talk_ _about_" Henry wasn't sure if he was meant to hear the last part, to hear the despair in her voice. But he had, _loud_ _and_ _clear_.


End file.
